15 groups to boycott policy forums of 'flawed' Missing Women inquiry

NEAL HALL, VANCOUVER SUN04.10.2012

Marlene George speaks during a press conference in Vancouver on April 10, 2012. Fifteen groups, including aboriginal organizations, announced they plan to boycott the policy forums next month of the "flawed" Missing Women inquiry.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

Lisa Yellow-Quill speaks during a press conference in Vancouver on April 10, 2012. Fifteen groups, including aboriginal organizations, announced they plan to boycott the policy forums next month of the "flawed" Missing Women inquiry.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

Cee Jai Julian speaks during a press conference in Vancouver on April 10, 2012. Fifteen groups, including aboriginal organizations, announced they plan to boycott the policy forums next month of the "flawed" Missing Women inquiry.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

Marlene George speaks during a press conference in Vancouver on April 10, 2012. Fifteen groups, including aboriginal organizations, announced they plan to boycott the policy forums next month of the "flawed" Missing Women inquiry.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

Lisa Yellow-Quill speaks during a press conference in Vancouver on April 10, 2012. Fifteen groups, including aboriginal organizations, announced they plan to boycott the policy forums next month of the "flawed" Missing Women inquiry.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

Lisa Yellow-Quill speaks during a press conference in Vancouver on April 10, 2012. Fifteen groups, including aboriginal organizations, announced they plan to boycott the policy forums next month of the "flawed" Missing Women inquiry.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

VANCOUVER - Fifteen groups, including aboriginal organizations, plan to boycott the policy forums next month of the "flawed" Missing Women inquiry, it was announced today.

"The commission has lost all credibility among aboriginal, sex work, human rights and women's organizations that work with and are comprised of the very women most affected by the issues this inquiry is charged with investigating," the groups said in an open letter sent today to Inquiry Commissioner Wally Oppal.

"We are not prepared to lend the credibility of our respective organizations' names and expertise to this inquiry, which can only be described as a deeply flawed and illegitimate process," the letter said.

"When this inquiry was finally called, we fully expected it to be a meaningful and inclusive process..." the letter added. "However, it has become painfully clear over the course of the inquiry's proceedings that this inquiry is not a meaningful and inclusive process.

"Instead, it has served to repeat the same discrimination and exclusion that we had hoped it would uncover."

All the groups, along with the Native Women's Association of Canada, were granted standing at the inquiry but withdrew last year when the provincial government refused to provide legal funding for the groups to hire lawyers to examine documents and cross-examine witnesses at the inquiry, which is probing why police didn't catch serial killer Robert Pickton earlier.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, said at a news conference in Vancouver today that the inquiry has been a complete failure.

"Mr. Oppal is beating a dead horse," he told reporters.

"This inquiry is not working and we're moving on," said Lisa Yellow-Quill of Battered Women's Support Services.

She said they are now asking for a national inquiry to look into the issues of systemic racism and sexism when dealing with aboriginal people and other marginalized people, such as sex workers.

Shawn Atleo, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, also issued a statement today, saying that as the Missing Women inquiry is approaching its end, "we feel deep regret that no measure of justice has been achieved. We had hoped important lessons could have been learned, which may have served to prevent similar harm and tragedy from occurring in the future."

The inquiry will resume at 1 p.m. and will hear testimony about why charges were dropped in 1998 against Pickton for trying to kill a prostitute in 1997 at his farm in Port Coquitlam.

The woman was repeatedly stabbed by Pickton before she ran to the street and flagged down a passing car.

The inquiry has heard the woman, who can only be referred to as Ms. Anderson, twice died on the hospital operating table but survived.

Pickton was also admitted to the same hospital. Police found in Pickton's pocket a handcuff key that was used to remove handcuffs from the victim's wrist.

The woman apparently freaked out and began fighting with Pickton when he unexpectedly put a handcuff on one of her wrists. She grabbed a kitchen knife, slashed Pickton and fled.

Pickton was charged with the attempted murder of the woman, who was scheduled to testify today at the inquiry.

But Anderson's testimony has now been postponed, with no explanation.

Instead, Randi Connor, the Crown prosecutor who decided to stay the charges against Pickton in 1998, now will testify at 1 p.m., when the inquiry resumes.

The inquiry plans to hold policy forums next month before Oppal hands in his final report to government by June 30.

nhall@vancouversun.com

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15 groups to boycott policy forums of 'flawed' Missing Women inquiry

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